Tag: Denzel Ward

6 Browns who are being snubbed from deserving Pro Bowl opportunities

The Browns have some hilarious omissions in the current Pro Bowl votes…

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero released the current standings in terms of Pro Bowl voting as we have just five weeks to go in the season. And to the dismay of the Cleveland Browns, there are numerous snubs left off of the list. Players like cornerback Denzel Ward and offensive tackle Dawand Jones have been cornerstones of Cleveland’s success this season as they sit at 7-5 on the year.

And yet neither are currently in the top-10 in voting at their respective positions.

The Pro Bowl has been known to be a popularity contest as memorable names tend to get the benefit of the doubt over more deserving breakout candidates. However, Ward has been there and done that before, and yet he is still left off the list at this point.

Ward and Jones are not the only ones, however. Here are six total Browns who deserve more love amongst the rest of the nation and their peers.

Browns Injury Report: Loads of key players return to practice, Amari Cooper still in concussion protocol

The Browns saw a ton of key players return to practice like Denzel Ward. However, Amari Cooper is still in the concussion protocol.

After back-to-back losses on their West Coast road trip, the Cleveland Browns are looking to get back in the win column as they return to home to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. They, for once this season, received positive injury news as multiple key contributors returned to practice after missing multiple weeks.

The Jaguars, of course, face injury issues of their own heading into this matchup as quarterback Trevor Lawrence “faces an uphill battle” to play on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium. If the Browns can find a way to even limp out of this game with a win, they will continue to control their own destiny toward a postseason slot despite their league-worst injury luck.

This is a step in the right direction as they at least get a bit healthier at the right time.

Here is the full injury report from Wednesday’s practice as the Browns prepare to rebound against the Jaguars. Here is every player who either did not practice or was limited in practice.

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Browns get multiple injured players back on the practice field Wednesday

Cleveland could have reinforcements on the way

Injuries have been a big part of the season for the Cleveland Browns despite the 7-5 record. They have battled down several key players at premium positions but help is on the way. Cornerback Denzel Ward has been fantastic this year and the team has missed him the last two weeks, he is returning to the practice field Wednesday which comes at a great time.

On top of that rookie Cameron Mitchell who has been on IR should return to the field as Cleveland has designated him to return. The secondary has had two bad games so getting two corners back, especially their best one, will be welcome to Kevin Stefanski and his staff.

On top of that quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson who remains in concussion protocol will also practice as well as wide receiver Marquise Goodwin who also has missed time with a concussion. The Browns control their destiny as far as making it into the playoffs and getting these players back would be huge.

Opposing offenses are taking advantage of Browns defense’s aggression

Can the defense adjust and get back on track?

It has been a rough couple of weeks for the Browns defense as Sean Payton of the Broncos and Sean McVay of the Rams have out-schemed them badly. They have shown the blueprint on how to beat the Browns defense: use their aggression to your benefit with motion and misdirection.

Jim Schwartz’s unit has had no answer for zone reads with athletic quarterbacks or jet motion runs. The Browns defense has been so aggressive this year and for a while, it was working until they got a little too aggressive. They aren’t playing assignment-sound football and haven’t had many answers in the run game.

Against the Rams, it was clear that McVay was not going to allow the Browns pass rush to disrupt his offense. They got the ball out of Stafford’s hand so quickly that it neutralized the pass rush and Schwartz couldn’t adjust. The injury to Denzel Ward has been huge for the Browns, as the past couple of weeks, teams have taken advantage of Greg Newsome II, who has been playing poorly in Ward’s absence.

The good news is this is fixable. The Browns have the talent if they can show they are willing to adjust their game plan on game day if things go wrong initially. We have seen them do it before, but Cleveland has got to fix its run defense and stop biting on play action and misdirection. They must get it figured out as Cleveland controls its own destiny for the playoffs and it all starts at home on Sunday.

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4 Downs: Browns drop second-in-a-row despite promising Joe Flacco debut

The Browns have now dropped two in a row…

After winning five of their last six prior, the Cleveland Browns have now dropped their second game in a row. Losing to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 36-19 on the road, the Browns were outclassed, especially on the defensive side of the ball as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has had his unit throttled two weeks in a row by veteran quarterbacks. Despite some early heroics from veteran Joe Flacco in his first start as a Brown, the repeated scoring drives by the Rams proved to be too much to overcome.

This now makes three-in-a-row for the Rams as well, as they advance to 6-6 on the season with an outside chance to fight their way into the playoffs. After starting 7-3, the Browns now fall to 7-5 with five games to go in their season.

In a less-than-stellar reason to write a post-game analysis, here is your Week 13 4 Downs as the Browns now need to right the ship. And do it fast.

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Browns: Denzel Ward, Dorian Thompson-Robinson headline inactives vs. Rams

The Browns have announced their inactives against the Rams, headlined by Denzel Ward and Dorian Thompson-Robinson

The Cleveland Browns are all but ready for kickoff for their Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The Browns have announced their inactives for the game ahead of this matchup. Their obvious losses are headlined by quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, still in the concussion protocol after a late hit last week, and cornerback Denzel Ward, who has missed his second straight game with an ailing shoulder.

Other than that, the rest of the Cleveland inactives are standard as they have been throughout the season. The Browns have continued to ease their rookies onto the field, as only wide receiver Cedric Tillman and right tackle Dawand Jones have seen significant playing time in 2023. Given the injuries in the secondary, both rookies Kahlef Hailassie and Ronnie Hickman are active against the Rams today.

Here are all the inactives for the Browns today as they look to rebound and advance to 8-4 on the season in Los Angeles.

Browns Inactives: Juan Thornhill in, Anthony Walker Jr. out vs. Broncos

The Browns have announced their inactives as Juan Thornhill will play. Anthony Walker Jr. is out against the Broncos

Coming into this Week 12 matchup against the Denver Broncos, the Cleveland Browns saw two starters with questionable designations. Safety Juan Thornhill and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. were not 100 percent to give it a go this week in practice. However, as the Browns release their inactives list, Thornhill will play in the Mile High City, while Walker Jr. will miss this matchup against the 5-5 Broncos.

Look for Sione Takitaki to start at MIKE linebacker in Walker Jr.’s absence, with Tony Fields II taking over as SAM (Takitaki’s usual post). The Browns did get linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk back from Injured Reserve this week as well to soften the blow of Walker Jr.’s nagging hamstring. To help fill the void of their missing defensive backs, the Browns also brought up two young guns from the practice squad.

Here is the full list of inactives as the Browns look to make it four straight, taking on the Broncos on the road.

Browns Injury Report: Juan Thornhill, many other return to practice as Broncos near

The Browns are looking for their fourth straight as they take on the Denver Broncos. Getting a boost, Juan Thornhill returns to practice.

Still without cornerback Denzel Ward as they prepare for the red-hot Denver Broncos, the Cleveland Browns did get a boost back in their elite secondary. While Ward likely misses the game, and while safety Rodney McLeod suffered a season-ending injury, the Browns got safety Juan Thornhill back to practice on Thanksgiving day.

Their list of players who did not practice was quite extensive on Wednesday, but the Browns got the majority of those players back on the field on Thursday. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start again in this game, even after adding veteran and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco to the roster.

Can head coach Kevin Stefanski pull out another win, making it six of his last seven games? It will not be an easy game in Denver, but the Browns will once again look to get the job done.

As the Browns prepare to travel to Denver, here is the full list of players who either did not practice on Thursday or were limited in practice.

The Browns field an elite secondary and the NFL’s best in 2023

Cleveland’s secondary has been lock down at several points this year

Cleveland’s defensive line has been getting a ton of praise that they have more than earned but it has overshadowed how good their coverage unit has been behind them. Martin Emerson Jr. has not had a sophomore slump for the Browns has taken a major step forward and has been dominant in man coverage. After a down season last year, Denzel Ward has returned to the top 10 form that earned him the contract extension he is currently playing on.

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has been able to get more creative with pressure packages knowing he can leave Emerson Jr. and Ward on an island behind it.

Another player that can flourish in man coverage his defensive run support this year has grabbed my attention as it jumps off the tape. Having Ward opposite Emerson and Greg Newsome II is the best cornerback trio in the NFL right now.

Then you look at the Swiss army knife for this defense that is Grant Delpit who has played all over the field. Delpit can play all over the field and do so well at multiple positions he’s great in coverage and even better in run defense. He has a quick trigger and the speed to crash downhill against the run or underneath pass to make the play. Delpit currently has 29 stop tackles from the safety position, which is insane.

Browns Injury Report: Juan Thornhill, Denzel Ward among 11 who miss Wednesday’s practice

The Browns are looking for their fourth in a row, but they are missing key members of their secondary in Juan Thornhill and Denzel Ward

The injuries continue to pile up. Despite sitting at 7-3 on the season, the Cleveland Browns continue to lose key players. Most recently, this was safety Rodney McLeod, who was placed on Injured Reserve with a bicep injury. To make matters worse, three other members of the secondary in cornerback Denzel Ward, and safeties Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill missed Wednesday’s practice with an injury as well as the team prepares for the Denver Broncos.

All in all, the Browns were without a staggering 11 players from their first practice of the week. While new quarterback Joe Flacco put on the orange helmet for the first time, the number of banged-up Browns is getting alarming. They will get linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk back into the lineup after he returned from IR, but there are bodies down across the board.

Here is every player who was either out of practice or participated in a limited fashion in Wednesday’s practice for the Browns.